Smoked Lamb with Mandarin and Harissa Sauce

This recipe is by Bobby Flay. I wish I had come up with it myself — it’s absolutely brilliant. The combination of smoked lamb, the bright acidity of mandarin, the heat of harissa, and the creamy smoothness of yogurt with tangy pickled onions is a true revelation.

🔥 A Sensory Journey — Smoked Lamb with Mandarin & Harissa

This recipe is a sensory voyage: the warm smoke of lamb, oriental spices, the sweet-savory blend of a mandarin-harissa sauce, and the cool contrast of homemade tzatziki. Inspired by Maghreb and Mediterranean traditions, it combines low-and-slow cooking, the precision of a fragrant rub, and the freshness of tangy or creamy condiments. An exceptional BBQ dish, where modern creativity meets heritage.

Ingredients

1 leg of lamb
4 pita breads

Red Onion & Pomegranate Pickles
2 red onions, very thinly sliced
2 tbsp grenadine syrup
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp mustard seeds
10 black peppercorns
1/2 cup sugar

Lamb Rub
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp sugar of choice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tbsp fleur de sel
1/4 cup vegetable oil (canola, olive, sunflower…)

Tzatziki
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 small cucumber (6 inches), grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Mandarin/Harissa Sauce
600 ml fresh mandarin juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp liquid honey
1 tbsp harissa powder or chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

Pickled Onions
Place the red onions in a sterilized glass jar, packing them tightly.
In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar, grenadine, and spices to a boil.
Once boiling, remove from heat and pour the mixture over the onions to the top of the jar. Seal and turn the jar upside down. Let cool for at least 4 hours.

Tzatziki
Grate the cucumber and squeeze out as much water as possible. Pat dry in a towel. Zest the lemon.
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients and squeeze in the juice of half the zested lemon. Chill until ready to serve.

Mandarin/Harissa Sauce
In a small saucepan, combine 500 ml of mandarin juice with the honey and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat slightly and reduce for 10–15 minutes until you have about 100 ml of syrup.
Add the vinegar, chili powder, salt, and pepper and blend. While blending, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify. Blend for 2 minutes until you get a slightly thick sauce.

The Lamb
Mix all the rub ingredients to form a paste. Rub the paste all over the lamb leg and let marinate for 30 minutes.
Set up your BBQ for indirect heat at 120–130°C (250–265°F), with coals only on one side.
When the coals are ready, place a chunk of smoking wood on top and wait for it to ignite.
Place the lamb on the grill away from the coals. Close the lid and smoke the meat until the internal temperature reaches 58°C (136°F).
Remove the lamb and let it rest for 5 minutes while you toast the pitas over the remaining coals.
Slice the meat thinly and fill your pitas with lamb and condiments.

🍽️ Presentation & Sides

Serve thinly sliced smoked lamb in grilled pita bread, with pickles, a drizzle of mandarin sauce, and a spoonful of tzatziki. Top with fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro) and a pinch of sumac or za’atar for extra depth.
Great with a salad of carrots, fennel, or arugula.

♻️ Dietary Variations

• Lightened version: Use half the olive oil in the sauce, low-fat yogurt for tzatziki, and reduce sugar in the pickles.
• No added sugar: Replace grenadine with pure pomegranate juice and omit honey.
• Gluten-free: Use lettuce wraps or gluten-free pita bread instead.

🧬 Health Sheet – Cancer + Diabetes